Did any of you go into the tunnels that were under Hobart Barracks? I heard some stories that they went all over the place from the bottom gate right around camp and up to the airfield. Did anyone take a peek? And I heard stories on how there was German Army WW2 kit left deep inside the tunnels. Best one was aircraft parts/engines/complete aircraft stored inside. Anyone care to dispel these stories......

Heard loads of stories during my time at Deathmold but never met anyone who actually got down there; when I flew over last year - big changes - the Germans were in the process of digging out the old main square and the new surface looked a fair bit lower than the old.

I remember that at the back of the accommodation blocks to the left of the car park, there were giant steel doors, padlocked, which lead into the tunnels (or old air raid shelter, come tunnels). Maybe its a story that does the rounds in all of Germany: Tunnels under the barracks, contains a tank/aircraft and it's crew, waiting patiently to do battle, etc.........

There were a few small tunnels at Oakington, but these were a mess with water damage and rubble everywhere.

Heard all the stories of tunnels under almost every camp in Germany.... even one bloke swearing that he'd been in the tunnels under Barker Bks in Paderborn. The place where he said that there was a huge bunker they have just built the new cookhouse...... and found nothing. I have realized that 99% of the tunnel stories are all bo11ocks. There may be some that have a bit of truth in them, but I'd have to see them myself to really believe.

Nope, that story is true (except for the tanks). The Britannia Centre used to house Herr Hess before he departed this earth for a long meeting with Herr Hitler in Hell. Spandu Prison in er, Spandu had numerous tunnels or air raid shelters littered all over the place. Some of the Inf lads who stagged on at Spandu prison maybe able to enlighten us on the tunnels, if they were allowed to enter them. Berlin was/is covered in 1000's of air raid tunnels/bunkers, seeing as they were constantly shat on from a height.

Most barracks in Germany hawk back to WWII and beyond, and have loads of air raid shelters/cmd bunkers, some only a few feet in length, right up to long winding tunnels and offices. The Germans couldn't conduct a war on ground level when the RAF were using barracks for target practice, so bunkers were built around each camp. I was told, upon arriving at 7 Flt in Berlin that there was a maze of tunnels under the hanger, running throughout the camp. There was evidence of trap doors around the back of the hanger, but the OC and 2IC forbid digging, etc. The forest to the back of the hanger had loads of trenches, complete with dugouts large enough to fit a few people in.

But the Hobart tunnel saga is supposed to be true. I did take a look through the gap in the metal doors at the back of the accommodation, but there was hardly any light, and there was around a foot of water. It would be interesting to know if indeed they did run throughout the barracks.

Popular myth had this building as deep undergound as it is tall with tunnels leading not only around Celle - specifically to Trenchard Bks but as as far as Hohne (handy for a quick run the the RoundHouse) and the Bergen-Belson Concentration Camp.

Another story has a diver going into the flooded tunnels in the 1970s - ne'er to be seen again.

In Hilderbanana from 81 to 89. Did a spell in the Officers mess. Everyone remembers Dicky Bird the Barman or Tool Storeman. His wife was the young assistant of the Doctor who looked after Hitler whenever he visited Hildesheim (for stress). Her brother was an Airman there. It was the so called secret air base.

As a child she spent many hours in the building which was their Officers Mess and subsequently became so under British occupation.

Some of us also heard of the stories of tunnels etc. She told us and showed us where the Officer Mess tunnel had been. One of three tunnels she knew of. They were filled in in the early 1950s. The main tunnel ran to what became Mons Camp and another branched off to the Leine and one went to the front of the old camp as it was. From where she only had a vague idea from the tellings of her brother. One was under the old CO quarters behind 652's block and one ran from the old SSO block, joining the one from the old CO quarters before splitting two ways.

They were escape tunnels and most bases in fact did have them. The stories of the Spitfires and Blenheims captured and kept in underground hangars was crap. They did however take shot down Spitfires and canibalise them to make a flying model (Only one made) but it crashed within minutes of a test flight. This was however done in our own Hangars as we knew them.

In the Cellar Bar of the Mess was a wall painting of Goering; flying on a bomb and there was also some little secret cupboards in there. The tunnels however, as said, had been filled in years before.

True or not, I had no reason to disbeleive her. She was as honest as the day was long.

Re. Hobart Bks. - When I was Comd. Avn. UKLF's driver - He once asked me if I had seen anything of the like whilst in Detmold. I said I hadn't but told him I had heard the rumours. He told me that on a visit there the CO had shown him a dump / store behind (I think it was 659's hangar) which was full of kit.
Certainly they dug up aircraft parts whilst re-building back in the early eighties and had a canon from a ME109 on the wall in RHQ.

An ex-RMP told me about the sewers / tunnels below Berlin which were sealed after the war. Bodies and kit were left there because of the sheer numbers. He once had access and said it was unbelievable what was down there.

I went down a closed off tunnel in Jersey some years ago, it was packed with Jerry helmets and gas masks etc, all in pretty bad condition, ie; rusted and covered in slime. Managed to find one helmet that was in fairly good order, which now adorns my garage wall.

Spent many a happy year in Detmold, a bloke called Jim used to run the clothing store he was ex-pat living on the German net. He knew loads about the tunnels (added bonus if you sat and chatted he would exchange any kit you wanted). One ran the perimeter of airfield (659 hanger to town gate gaurd room) and a tank leaving through the town gate caved it in. Lots of stories about what was under the parade square, if you went into 4 Regt armoury you could go down another level to a dead end at the bottom of the stairs, same in 71 HQ building. Another little known fact is that Goering had an office in what became the education centre library, he had compulsive dissorder about washing his hands and there was a little sink hid away in the back. Still there when I did my EPC in 1988.

There was an underground hospital in Krefeld (originally built by the Germans) which was kept stocked for use during the Cold War. It was nominated as an alternative location for RAF(H) Wegberg and occasionally used on exercise.